The Storm
by String Sailed Ship
Summary: This is the second story in my fanfiction "series" of the Barkley family. This time, Lesley disobeys her mother and rides farther than she should have. A storm approaches quickly, but though Lesley begins to head back to the ranch, the storm catches up with her quickly and she finds she is all alone.


Twelve year old Lesley slipped off her leather boots and stepped out onto the fallen tree that hung out over the pond. She sat down and let her legs dangle over the side of the log, allowing her toes to splash in the cool water on such a warm, September afternoon. Her paint, Magic, was quietly eating grass by the oak tree where Lesley had dismounted moments earlier. She loved Magic, the horse that she and Nick stayed up one May night to help deliver. It was hard to believe that it was already 5 years ago that Magic became a part of the Barkley animal family. Lesley would hurry down to the corral each afternoon to watch Heath ride her. He didn't have any trouble breaking the then two year old filly. She never threatened to buck or take off, and that was good because Nick would not have allowed his baby sister to ride something wild and uncontrollable. But now, Lesley and Magic were almost inseparable. They would ride everywhere together, like today when they headed out to Miller's Pond. Lesley's plan was to wait for her eldest brother Jarrod, who was going to be driving home early that day from his law office in Stockon. The road ran past the pond, so Lesley thought it would be the perfect place to wait for him.

Lesley sat there, but began to wonder just how long she had been at the pond. With a quick glance at the sky, she figured that she had been there for most of the afternoon hours. And indeed, she had. Minutes had turned into hours and the sky was starting to become dark with black clouds. The sun had disappeared in the western sky when Lesley decided to take Magic back home, which was three miles away from the pond. Her mother Victoria, had asked her not to go too far that afternoon; but as usual, Lesley didn't realize just _how_ far she had gone. She figured they had two and a half miles left to run before reaching the ranch and the sky had already turned black. Lesley's heart sank when she looked behind her to see oncoming clouds and heard the clapping of thunder in the distance. _I've just got to get home._ She whispered to Magic as she urged the mare on. _Mother will scold me for sure_. Magic's hoofs beat the ground as she galloped towards home. Lesley loved when her horse was at a dead run, but the only thing on Lesley's mind was beating the oncoming storm. She felt sure that by now, she was only two miles from home. Relief came upon her and she eased up on Magic's pace. But a little too soon. Though they had come a long ways in a short time, the storm caught up with them.

Lesley knew her way around this territory like the back of her hand...in the daytime. She never did much nighttime riding, and when she did, one of her brothers was always with her. And tonight it was not only dark, but the rain began to fall. The falling water blinded her view as it gradually turned into a downpour. _Just great!_ Lesley sighed. _Keep going. Have to keep going!_ She urged the mare to move faster, but Magic was becoming tired and could not keep the same pace. Lesley began to shiver as the cold rain sank through her clothes down to her skin. The thought of "home" was the only thing that kept her from seeking shelter under trees. But she finally realized she had to stop and wait for the rain to subside a little, because the torrents kept her from seeing where they were running. Lesley slowed up Magic and her plan was to pull on Magic's bridle to lead her under the nearby tree for a little bit of shelter. But before she could swing her leg over the saddle, a bolt of lightning struck ten feet away from Magic and the mare reared, knocking Lesley off onto the ground. Lesley didn't even have time to scream before she landed. When she looked up, the lathered mare had taken off, leaving Lesley sitting in mud. She called for Magic, but Magic was too far away by now and was too scared to return. Fear turned into panic as Lesley looked around desperately to find a shelter. She didn't know where it came from, but twenty feet away she spotted a cave. She quickly stood up and ran to it, just as another bolt struck and broke off a limb that was hanging above the place where Lesley had landed in the mud.

She ran inside, though she was not very fond of dark caves, or the bats that lived in them. But she knew that the cave was better than nothing and she was thankful for that. Lesley's stomach growled and the thought of what Silas made for supper made her even hungrier. She sat on a rock near the entrance of the cave and rested her chin on her hands. She wondered what was going on at home in the midst of her absence.

At the house, Nick paced the living room knowing that he wouldn't get very far in this storm looking for Lesley. Victoria and Audra tried to keep busy and prayed that Jarrod had found Lesley and they headed back to town, knowing that maybe Lesley had ridden farther than what Victoria warned her to go. Nick had other ideas. "That girl has _got_ to learn to be more considerate!" He yelled, as he folded his arms over his black leather vest. Victoria tried not to worry about her youngest child and still keep Nick calm. Audra stared into the fire and gripped the knitting needles that she held in her hands. Heath quickly slammed the door behind him and the family jumped in surprise. Heath shook off his rain jacket and hat as he walked into the living room. "She's not at the barn yet," He announced, with a hint of worry written on his face. Victoria leaned back in her comfy chair. The sound of thunder rattled the floor and Audra jumped. She stood to her feet and looked at Nick and Heath. "We have to do something and find her! She's lost somewhere out in this storm!" Victoria reached out her hand and Audra came back to her chair. Nick briskly walked over to the window, standing there for minute; then shifted his weight as he walked back over to the rest of the family. "That's it!" He said in his usual gruff manner. "We're going out after her." Victoria was against the idea of everyone getting lost in the raging storm, but efforts to stop Nick from not doing something was next to impossible. He and Heath slipped on their hats and Nick was just about to put on his jacket when the door busted open.

"Jarrod!" Victoria was shocked to see her eldest son standing in the doorway, slipping off his completely wet jacket. "Where's Lesley?" Nick asked. He was now more worried than annoyed because he hoped that Jarrod had found Lesley and they were both safe. Since Jarrod was alone, Nick knew Lesley was somewhere out in this terrible California storm, lost and probably hurt. Jarrod looked at Nick with a puzzled look. "Isn't she here?" He asked calmly, raising an eyebrow as he tried to figure out what his brother was talking about. Victoria's heart sank and Audra, who was close to tears, ran up the flight of stairs and raced to her room. But Victoria had to take one thing at a time now and she hurried upstairs after Audra. Jarrod grabbed Nick by the sleeve. "What do you mean 'Where's Lesley'? Nick, answer me." He demanded as he let go of his grip. Nick went on to explain that Lesley had gone out that afternoon to meet Jarrod since he was coming home earlier in the day. Jarrod's face almost became white as Nick finished by saying Lesley still had not returned home. "We're going out there." Jarrod stated, as he started to throw on his already wet jacket. Heath and Nick did the same. Victoria walked to the balcony just as her sons shut the door behind them. "God, help them find her." She pleaded, as she looked longingly at the door.

The three of them made their way out to the barn, hoping that by this time Lesley had made it back and was just brushing off Magic. Their hopes vanished and despair wanted to take them over as they saw Magic standing under the Black Smith's roof, trying desperately to stay out of the rain. Hail began to fall as Nick grabbed her bridle, while Jarrod and Heath jumped to the door to open it. But there was no sign of Lesley inside the barn. The boys were now fearing Lesley had been struck and lay unconscious or worse somewhere; but only God knew where. The boys had just closed the barn door behind them when a loud crash of thunder shook the ground. Their minds were on one thing: finding Lesley safe and sound, as hard as that was to believe. The horses stood in their stalls, but began to prance when they realized they were being tacked up to go out into the storm. Nick's horse, Coco reared when Nick tried to bridle him, as Heath's horse Charger leaned into him as he was tightening the cinch. Jarrod had little problem tacking up Jingo, one of the ranch hand's horses. But the gelding was older and had been out in storms such as this, so he appeared calm compared to the other horses. But neither the horses nor the Barkley men were wanting to go out in the weather. However, Lesley was out in this storm somewhere and their fear grew every minute as they searched and did not find her. They had originally stuck together, but since they didn't know exactly where Lesley had ridden to that afternoon, it seemed better to split up so as to cover more ground faster. Jarrod headed on the road back to town, while Nick took to the North pasture and Heath headed South. The heavy rain kept their horses from moving as quickly as their riders wanted them to, but the flashes of light helped to light the way somewhat.

Back at the cave, Lesley was shivering as she had left her raincoat back at the house; not expecting to be caught out in the middle of the storm. The cold rain had soaked her clean through and the cave was already dark and damp. She wouldn't cry though, she didn't even think to. She was much like Nick that way. They both had an emotional side, but when they were in trouble, they more likely tried to fight their way out of it. And Lesley had just about enough of sitting in the cave. Following a brief pep talk and a prayer, she went out into the storm again. The rain now started to feel warm to her, but she knew she was going to get sick; whether she stayed in the damp cave or traveled unprotected in cold rain. She walked up to the tree she wanted to stand under with Magic, what probably seemed hours earlier. She had no idea just how long ago that was. She looked in the direction they were riding from and figured that somehow, in order to cut some time, she had urged Magic off the road and had wound up in this wooded area. It scared her to think she had made things worse for herself, with no road to follow and taking a shortcut she had never taken before in her life.

She was thankful when the lightning subsided and rain let up a little; increasing her visibility. As she walked straight ahead, she kept saying the same prayer over and over in her mind: "Help me, Lord", "Help me, Lord". When she was about ready to turn back to the cave because she didn't feel like any of the surroundings were changing, she looked to her right and saw the road! She ran out to it and twirled in the rain. She was so excited to be back on old familiar sod; but now, she didn't know which direction to go. Her brothers knew their directions, but she could only guess many a time; taking the chance that she goofed again. Only this time, they were not with her to correct her mistake. And it made it harder to know because it was pitch black and the rain continued to fall, allowing her to see only a short distance. She looked both ways and wiped the raindrops that had fallen on her head. _Well,_ She thought. _I'll go to the left. Just maybe I'll be right for once_. And so she did. The more she walked, the fewer drops of rain that fell. And soon, the rain became a light drizzle and the darkness didn't seem as dark any longer. Lesley still shivered though and the wind was as strong as before, making her feel colder with every passing minute. Throughout each moment, she prayed until she walked by a large oak tree next to the road and her heart leaped for joy. Lesley recognized it and began running. She had finally picked the _right_ direction! But she ran only a few steps when she heard something running towards her. She couldn't make out who or what it was, so she stepped to the side of the road. A dark shadow on a horse loped past her and she shouted to them. "Wait!" She yelled, wondering who would be riding on such a night as this. The stranger pulled his horse to a stop and rode up beside Lesley. He pulled his hat back and jumped off his horse. "Jarrod!" Lesley shouted, almost unable to believe it was really him. She threw her arms around her brother's neck, as he lifted her off her feet. The reunion was more than Jarrod could have expected and they quickly headed back home to get Lesley into some dry clothes.

Lesley, now tucked in bed, reached for a handkerchief from the pile her mother had laid on the nightstand beside her bed. "Young lady," Victoria scolded. "After worrying us like that, I hope this cold keeps you in this house for a good time now." Lesley's siblings chuckled, as they each exchanged a goodnight hug with her. Jarrod bent over her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, honey." After Jarrod backed away, Nick walked over with a scowl written on his face and when his eyes met hers, Lesley looked at the end of the bed. When she looked back up at him, he unfolded his arms and tweaked her nose. She smiled. When all of her siblings left the room, Victoria patted her daughter's hand and turned to leave. "Mother?" Lesley sniffled, as she wiped her nose.

"Yes?" Victoria responded.

Lesley didn't really know what to say. And though she tried to think of something, all she could manage was an "I'm sorry."

Then there was a silence. Lesley had such a hard time apologizing for anything she did wrong, and Victoria knew that. She didn't know how in the world she could be so much like Nick sometimes. Audra said that she had too much pride and Heath called it the "Nick Syndrome"; but either way, this was one time when Lesley was genuinely sorry for what she did. Victoria sat back down on the bed and sighed. "I know you are." She finally said, as a tear rolled down Lesley's face. "When I think of how I could have lost you tonight, it really upset me. Your brothers and sisters." Lesley knew. Understanding full well she could have lost her life because of her mistakes that afternoon. Victoria held Lesley's hand. "We love you, Lesley, and your role _as _"Lesley" plays an important part in this family." Lesley smiled, knowing her mother was trying to explain that the family just wasn't "complete" without her.

And indeed it was not.


End file.
